Local-first

Local-first means the software runs on your machine, against a database you own, and keeps working whether or not it can reach the internet.

What this gives you

• Ownership. The database is a file on your computer. You can copy it, inspect it, and export from it at any time. We never hold it, so we can't lose it, sell it, or hold it hostage.
• Speed. There's no network round-trip between you and your data. The apps are responsive because everything is local.
• Resilience. No tenant outage takes your operation offline. It runs offline by default.
• Privacy. Your customers, candidates, and documents stay on your machine unless you explicitly send them somewhere.

Why it matters more with AI

An AI agent is most useful when it can see your whole operation and act on it. If your data is spread across a dozen clouds, every action is gated by an API and a terms-of-service. When the data is local and unified, an agent can reach all of it — and you can audit everything it touched, because the record is yours.

The model runs against your data. Your data never runs off to the model.

The tradeoffs we accept

Local-first isn't free. Excellent runs single-player on one machine by default — team workspaces exist today for owner-run fleets, and richer conflict-free sync is in active development. Collaboration, sync, and backup are deliberate, explicit steps rather than silent defaults. We think that's the right posture for a system of record: you always know exactly what leaves your machine, instead of assuming everything should.